Some Finn in the Air

Dundalk may be without their twenty goal talisman of last season Patrick Hoban, but they’ve already begun this season with a spring in their step by doing something they haven’t managed in five seasons; won their opening game. Part of the Oriel outfit’s menacing look is the addition of the audacious midfielder Ronan Finn who looks like a real coup for the Lilywhites.

Finn has been Dundalk’s, and perhaps the league’s, marque signing in the off-season. For Lilywhite fans, wondering how Finn would perform in the white jersey, the signs have been promising: He has had an excellent pre-season and has linked up well with the glut of midfield talent already on display at Oriel Park: No doubt a welcome selection headache for manager Stephen Kenny.

Strangely, at this juncture, few bookmakers fancy Dundalk to retain the league. Back-to-back title is a (well-documented) feat no Dundalk side has managed to do. They have had nine previous failed attempts! Has this group got what it takes? The Lilywhites have kept the majority of last year’s winning squad intact. ’This is a team that scored 53 goals last season even if Hoban’s goals are not included, which would still equate to the joint best goal difference in the 2014 league.

Throw Finn into the mix and Dundalk look as competitive as ever. Finn is a player not shy in front of goal and capable of making and scoring goals out of seemingly benign passages of play. He also reunites with former UCD team-mate David McMillian who will no doubt be appreciative of the quality of service Finn can provide.

Stephen Kenny took over Dundalk with a point to prove following his dismissal at Shamrock Rovers. He seems to welcome players that have a similar agenda. The team he assembled for the 2013 season were early relegation candidates; they finished a close second place and then won it in 2014. It’s a method that seems to be working and the players speak as if last season’s success merely whetted their appetite.

Finn is confident he can play to his full potential under the Dundalk manager. In an interview to the club’s website he remarked that: “Stephen was the main reason I wanted to come here. I have a great relationship with him. I played really well for him before and I just want to get back to that again. He’s a really good person and he’s a great manager.”

Another notable signing for Dundalk is former Sligo Rovers ‘keeper Gary Rogers. At a supporter’s club meeting he admitted it was a relief to be defending Dundalk’s goal this season rather than defending against their omnipotent threat. He recalled: “Goals could just come from anywhere on the pitch”. There is no doubt the entire squad will have to chip in with goals again to be as prolific as last season, but there is something in the air around Dundalk: a steely determination and ambition to protect last year’s spoils which makes them  a force to be reckoned with.